Prioress Elected at Mount St. Scholastica

After days of deliberation and months of prayerful preparation, the Benedictine sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison, Kansas, joyfully announce the election of Sister Anne Shepard, OSB, as their prioress. Sister Anne was born in New York City and raised in Washington, D.C. She has been a member of the community since 1965. Her academic background is in the field of education, including a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Mount St. Scholastica, now Benedictine College, and a Doctorate in Education with a concentration in peace education, from Columbia University in New York. She has served as a teacher in junior and senior high school, as principal of the Academy of Mount St. Scholastica and as superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Most recently, she has been Director of Development and Communication for the Mount St. Scholastica monastic community. She has also served on multiple boards, including the boards of Benedictine College, the Mount Community Center, and the Atchison Heritage Conference Center.

Every six years, the sisters gather in a sacred assembly to elect or re-elect their leader. The prioress of a Benedictine monastery is not some distant authority or a mere business executive. She is one from within the monastery, known by her sisters and entrusted with a central position in their lives together. “My heart is filled with gratitude and love for this community,” said Sister Anne, recognizing this trust. “It is with a deep sense of humility that I accept the community’s mandate to serve as their prioress.”

The process by which she was chosen is a very spiritual one. For many months, the sisters have been saying special prayers for wisdom and for their own individual openness. On June 7, 2005, more than 150 sisters began deliberations at the monastery. As one of the largest Benedictine communities in the country, the task was challenging but unifying. They began by looking at goals they have set for themselves over several months of discussion and planning. They affirmed the path they have taken over the past few years and chose certain areas to emphasize in the coming years. Their focuses for the next administrative term include assessment of human and material resources for future needs and ministries, an emphasis on compassion to the poor and bringing about peace and justice, and the development of Sophia Center, the community’s spirituality center.

These directional statements form the background for the discernment process. While each sister takes responsibility for carrying out these goals, one person must be selected to serve as the spiritual and practical leader. In the next part of the process, names of sisters were surfaced and the field narrowed. After discussion, open sharing and much prayer, the sisters went to the chapel for the official balloting.

The sisters were assisted in their deliberations by facilitators, Sister Mary Catherine Wenstrup, OSB of St. Walburg Monastery in Covington, Kentucky and Sister Cecilia Dwyer, OSB of St. Benedict Monastery in Bristow, Virginia. “This community is a joy to work with,” said Sister Mary Catherine. “They work hard and really give themselves to the process.”

Sister Anne is the eleventh prioress since the community began in 1863. Although early prioresses served for unlimited terms, the prioress now holds the office for a maximum of twelve years. Besides immediate predecessor, Sister Mary Collins, there are two other former prioresses living, Sisters Noreen Hurter and Mary Agnes Patterson. Sister Mary Agnes observed, “In our 145 years in Atchison, God has always guided us to select the right person for the time. Sister Anne will bring her special gifts and find great support from the community. Together we will move into our future with hope and continue to serve with the gifts God has given us.”

Sister Anne‘s installation as prioress will take place at 2 p..m., Sunday, July 10, 2005, at the monastery’s St. Scholastica Chapel.

Comments from Sister Anne at her Installation as Prioress

Pictures from the Installation, July 10, 2005